This education session provision has been a legal and allowed reason to close council meetings to the public in Ontario since 2006. Councils (and committees) can do this for the purpose of presenting information to members in private, so long as no business is “materially advanced” while the doors are closed.

When the opportunity presents itself and there is one scheduled, I take advantage of the pulpit my occupation affords me to state my opinion and encourage council to be better than what’s permitted in law.

I’ve hated that it exists since then and applaud Cornwall city councils current and past for not having relied on these education sessions. My favourite was a southwestern Ontario town that used the education session provision to shut out the public while council members learned about the ramifications of potential tax increases.

When it was brought into existence, I called it the “councillors who are afraid to ask stupid questions in public” provision.

It’s reasonable not every member of council we elect will be a genius – even if some behave as though they are – and know every possible minutiae of detail involved in governing a municipality. This is why council hires a competent chief administrator, who in turn hires competent staff members to implement council’s directions, using the budget approved by council to do so.

If councillors could benefit from learning something they don’t know from staff members or other subject-matter experts, the public can also benefit. Calling it an education session and closing the doors prevents the public from learning those things at the same time as its council members.

It’s possible this education session is to allow for the privacy some feel may be needed to be able to conduct a strong, no holds barred team-building session. This would be the only way to legally do so. Even then, the need for complete privacy isn’t necessary unless council’s expecting a horde to appear at the Nav Centre Saturday.

We’re still left wondering the nature of the session, as the resolution for it includes no information on the general nature of the subject matter to be discussed, as is required under the Municipal Act.

The public deserves to know that information— and if there isn’t a strong enough reason, council can be better than the law and educate and/or train itself in public.